“These guys keep finding a way,” Dayton coach Shauna Green said. “I’m so proud of them.”
Dayton (20-7, 13-0) leads Virginia Commonwealth (15-11, 10-3) by three games with three to play. Even if the teams were to tie for the title, Dayton has the tiebreaker because it beat VCU 72-67 on Sunday.
It’s the fifth A-10 regular-season championship for Dayton and the third in four years for coach Shauna Green.
Dayton has won 15 straight games. It’s one win away from tying the school record most consecutive victories in one season. The 2017-18, 2007-08 and 1979-80 teams all won 16 games in a row.
Dayton trailed 40-35 when Erin Whalen hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Flyers a 41-40 lead. Sydney Zambrotta scored on George Washington’s next possession, but that would be GW’s last lead. Jayla Scaife and Whalen scored the next four points. Dayton didn’t trail again.
Whalen led Dayton with 15 points. Shakeela Fowler scored 11.
Dayton outscored George Washington 17-3 in the first quarter. The Colonials did not make a field goal in the quarter after scoring on their first possession 30 seconds into the game.
George Washington started to chip away at the deficit in the second quarter, but Dayton still led 23-14 at halftime.
Dayton held a nine-point lead early in the third quarter when the Colonials scored eight points in just over a minute. After a 30-second timeout, George Washington ran off four more points to take a 29-25 lead.
Dayton returns to action at 1 p.m. Saturday at third-place Fordham (17-9, 9-4).
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